India’s vice-captain Hardik Pandya feels Asia Cup 2023 will check the Indian team’s personality and character. India could not qualify for the final of the previous Asia Cup after they were beaten by Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the Super four stage and thus the team will be looking to come up with a better show.
Meanwhile, India will look to come up with a collective effort and get the job done in the continental tournament. A good performance in the Asia Cup will also boost the team’s confidence ahead of the ODI World Cup.
On the other hand, Hardik Pandya will also hold the key for India as an all-rounder. Pandya could not deliver in the limited-overs series against the West Indies and he will be determined to turn the tables.
India is the most successful team in the history of the Asia Cup as they have won the title on seven occasions.
Pandya also admitted that the match against Pakistan will be a high-pressure game for both teams given the history. The last these two arch-rivals met on the international scene, India won by four wickets in the T20 World Cup 2022 after Virat Kohli’s heroics.
Hardik Pandya said on Star Sports, “A lot of emotions are attached by fans. For us, it is about playing a good team, playing a match against a very good side that has done very well in the recent past. A couple of finals they’ve played and the tension between us is always there. So for me, we try to keep the outside noise outside, and we focus on how we can play good cricket. At the end of the day, we are cricketers.”
He added, “We can’t get too emotional about it because then certain decisions can be reckless, which I don’t believe in. But, at the same point of time, it’s a mega event. It’s an event which I’ve seen how it checks your character, checks your personality, and at the same point in time, you can see in how deep waters you can swim. So for me, all these factors excite me a lot and yeah, I can’t wait.”
India will begin their Asia Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele on September 2.
